Gamers experienced an incredible year, with 2024 serving up some of the most memorable gaming experiences yet. Across different consoles, from the Nintendo Switch to the PlayStation 5, releases ranged in genres and styles.
The year started strong with titles like Tekken 8 and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, both great games that didn’t even make this list, proving just how stacked the year was for quality gaming. Some of the most exciting were found in DLCs, or downloadable content, which were additions to games from last year such as Alan Wake 2.
Other honourable mentions include Planet Coaster 2, Black Myth Wukong and F1 Manager 2024. Without further ado, here are the best releases of the year.
7. Super Mario Party Jamboree
Released in October, this latest iteration in the long line of Super Mario Party games is one of the best. In it, characters from the Super Mario world are pitted against each other in a series of mini-games. The Super Mario Party series is always a must-own for Nintendo fans as they offer endless fun, whether played alone or with friends and family. In Jamboree, new mini-games are introduced that make use of the Switch’s motion capture technology.
Super Mario Party Jamboree has an impressive 110 mini-games, which means it will take a while and multiple playthroughs before players encounter the same one again.
6. Silent Hill 2
A remake of the 2001 game of the same name, Silent Hill 2 takes everything that made the first game special and improves on it. The original was known for its eerie atmosphere and sense of helplessness as the main character navigates the town of Silent Hill looking for his missing wife.
The new game doesn’t completely change from the original experience. Instead, it pays homage to it and celebrates it. What makes the remake even more special is that it seemed to be dead in the water for a while, especially after the last effort in the series, Hideo Kojima’s Silent Hills, was cancelled by Konami. Now, with the success of the Silent Hill 2 remake, fans can look forward to possibly more remakes or even new entries in the series.
5. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Another remake on the list, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a faithful recreation of the 2006 original game but with better graphics and added extras such as unlockable costumes for the main character.
The story revolves around Frank West, a photojournalist who is dropped in the largest mall of a city in Colorado that has been ravaged by a zombie outbreak. Strapped with his trusty camera, West must discover the reason behind the outbreak while helping the survivors and making sure he has the weaponry to stay alive himself.
The game excels in its storytelling and while the main missions are engaging and keep the character busy, it’s the side missions of saving the many eclectic survivors that elevate the experience. The game also operates within a strict time limit, so there’s no time to roam around doing nothing as the clock ticks. With multiple possible outcomes, the game invites players to boot the game up again and again to see how they can fare differently on each run.
4. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
The newest game on the list, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was released on December 9 and puts players in the boots of the famed archaeologist adventurer as he tries to uncover another ancient mystery while also battling the Nazis. The game switches between first and third-person view in some parts but is mainly a first-person game as Indy uses his trusty whip to traverse obstacles.
The character looks like Harrison Ford from the films but has been voiced by Troy Baker who has risen to fame for voicing famous video game characters such as the Joker as well as Joel in the The Last of Us games. Although the game has just been released across most major consoles, it has already impressed with its faithful representation of the adventures from the films.
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
The Call of Duty series is a highlight on the calendars of gamers every year as they look forward to a new release, with hopes for new additions to warrant purchasing. Luckily, this year's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has a lot to offer.
Black Ops 6 is three games in one, the first being the offline campaign in which there is a story and characters as players go through each mission until the storyline’s conclusion. The other two are the online modes, Zombies and multiplayer, each with different goals and tasks.
While most players will buy the game to play the online modes (and rightfully so as they are a tonne of fun), it must be noted the campaign mode in Black Ops 6 is one of the best in the series and throws a lot at twists and turns to keep things interesting.
2. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Elden Ring was released in 2022 and there’s not much that hasn’t been said about its excellence. Winning multiple awards including Game of the Year at The Game Awards, Elden Ring is a certified masterpiece from Japanese studio FromSoftware.
This year, fans were treated to a new addition to the game called Shadow of the Erdtree that raises the stakes and offers a different class of enemies to contend with. The game’s new chapter was praised for being substantial, with the new enemies varying in difficulty and size. Much has been said about how difficult Elden Ring is, including the game’s director who said that the difficulty is part of the experience.
1. Astro Bot
Not many people would have suspected that a platforming game (essentially a larger version of a mini-game) created from PlayStation to get players acclimated to the PS5 would become one of the best and most adored games of the year.
Astro Bot does everything just right, pulling from the large library of the gaming console's history of memorable characters to indulge players in their nostalgia while also offering a fun platforming experience that changes with every level. The game is engaging and challenging in some parts but ultimately offers a memorable gaming experience.
